I loved her first
by cac123
Summary: Its the day of Meredith and Dereks wedding and Richard is finding it harder and harder to let go...read and reveiw AN:richard is the father figure in this story thatcher doesnt really exist


-1As Richard watched Derek and Meredith exchange there wedding vows he couldn't help but think that he was losing his little girl. Meredith really wasn't his daughter but he had come to think of her as his child. Thatcher was never really in the picture and had missed all the opportunities to get close to her. As Meredith and Derek walked down the isle Richard thought back to the day that Meredith asked him to walk her down the isle.

**Flashback**

**Richard was sitting in his office just finishing up paper work when Meredith walked in.**

" **Hey Meredith can I help you with something," Richard asked signing his name on the last of his paperwork.**

" **Yea I was wondering if you would walk me down the isle on my wedding day," Meredith as nervously. Richard just sat there stunned by her question, he had always considered Meredith his daughter but he didn't know if she ever felt that way about him.**

" **I would love to," Richard said standing up and going over to give her a hug.**

" **Thank you it means a lot to me that you said yes," Meredith said as she walked out of his office.**

**Present day**

That was the best day of his life, but today has to be the best. As they arrived at the reception Richard just stared in amazement at the woman who in his heart is still his little girl. He thought that she looked beautiful and happy and that's all he could have ever asked for.

Before he knew it, it was time for the toasts and as each person gave theirs he became more nervous and excited. When it was his turn he got up from his seat and climbed onto the stage. He had planned to sing a song to Meredith and Derek.

" Meredith and Derek this is a special song that I hope you'll never forget."

_Look at the two of you dancing that way  
Lost in the moment and each others face  
So much in love your alone in this place  
Like there's nobody else in the world  
I was enough for her not long ago  
I was her number one  
She told me so  
And she still means the world to me  
Just so you know  
So be careful when you hold my girl  
Time changes everything  
Life must go on  
And I'm not gonna stand in your way_

But I loved her first and I held her first  
And a place in my heart will always be hers  
From the first breath she breathed  
When she first smiled at me  
I knew the love of a father runs deep  
And I prayed that she'd find you someday  
But it still hard to give her away  
I loved her first  


As Richard sang the song to them he drifted back through all the memories to when Meredith was a little baby and she looked up and to Richards eyes and smiled a wide smiled. That day had brought tears to his eyes and he knew that she would find someone to love her as much as he had loved her mother. But when that day came he would have never thought that it would be this hard to let her go.

_How could that beautiful women with you  
Be the same freckle face kid that I knew  
The one that I read all those fairy tales to  
And tucked into bed all those nights  
And I knew the first time I saw you with her  
It was only a matter of time_

He went from that memory of her first smile to the day that he found out about Meredith and Derek. He knew in that moment that they would end up being together forever and it really bothered him. He still thought of her as his little girl. Not the beautiful woman that she really had grown up to be.

_But I loved her first and I held her first  
And a place in my heart will always be hers  
From the first breath she breathed  
When she first smiled at me  
I knew the love of a father runs deep  
And I prayed that she'd find you someday  
But its still hard to give her away  
I loved her first_

From the first breath she breathed  
When she first smiled at me  
I knew the love of a father runs deep  
Someday you might know what I'm going through  
When a miracle smiles up at you  
I loved her first  


When the song ended Meredith had tears in her eyes and ran up to Richard and Thanked him with a hug. That was the last event Richard was alive to see. The next month Richard suffered a heart attack and died.

**3 Years Later**

**Its been three years since Richard died and a lot has happened people got married and moved away. Meredith and Derek had a baby last year it was a boy and they name him Richard David Shepherd. Richard would be proud of Meredith and the women she became.**

**Every year on her anniversary she was the video of her wedding and reception and to this day that song still brings tears to her eyes.**


End file.
